James "Bud" Layne

James "Bud" Layne

James "Bud" Layne of Glasgow pledged $500,000 to Western Kentucky University to create
an endowed professorship in the Department of Engineering Technology. His gift was
matched by the Regional University Excellence Trust Fund.

"Endowments are the way of ensuring that the University will continue in perpetuity,
and the Kentucky General Assembly has wisely chosen to provide the public universities
with incentives for creating endowments to support key faculty positions," said WKU
President Gary Ransdell.

Layne, chief executive officer of Span Tech in Glasgow, said such partnerships are
essential to the economic development of the region. "We have a long-term interest
in developing a strong mechanical engineering technology program at Western," he said,
adding that his firm has hired several WKU engineering graduates. "I believe in the
school and I believe in the program."